Combined bottle-cap remover and stopper.



A. R. HOEFT. COMBINED BOTTLE CAP REMOVER AND STOPPER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1909.

959,220. P en ed May 24, 1910.

UNITED s rnrrns PATENT onnion.

ADOLPB 3. H0111, OF CHICAGO,

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' To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AnoLPn R. Honr'r, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Bottle- Cap Removers'and Sto pers; and I do hereby declare that the fol owing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a novel combined bottle cap remover and stopper, designed to remove the sheet metal caps from bottles containing a charged beverage and to thereafter close the bottle against escape of the charging gas during subsequent withdrawal of the beverage from time to time.

I the device as a whole.

The object of the invention is to provide an exceedingly simple device of the character, which is strong and durable and which may be made at small cost.

A further object of the invention is to ,provide a neat and attractive device of this character which is of such weight and size as to permit it to be practically carried as a pocket piece, as well as to be used at soda fountains and bars, and which presents a large surface available to receive advertising matter.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top perspective view of the combined bottle cap remover and stopper embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Figs. 3 and 4 are cross sections on lines 3-3 and 44 respectively of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 illustrates the manner of removing a sheet metal ca from a bottle by the use of my device.

bottle when serving as a stopper or closure therefor.

As shown in the drawings, 10 designates It comprises a sheet steel plate 11, made slightly larger at one end than at the other, and is provided at its larger end with an opening 12 and at its other end with a stopper 13 detachably' fitted to the lower side thereof. As herein shown the plate is flat, and it is provided at its side margins with downwardly turned stiffening flanges 14 which extend from the curve Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed June 1, 1909. SerialNo. 499,514.

'to the. plate by means of a wh1ch extends through an openin in the ig. 6 illustrates the position of the device on the- Patented M... 24, 1910.

plate, though arran ement maybe somewhat varied if desired. he stoplper is attached eaded screw 17 plate, through an axial opening in t e stopper and has screw threaded engagement wi an interiorly screw-threaded nip le 18 formed integral with a disk 19- that 15 fitted to the inner end face of the stopper. The disk may be made of sheet metal with the nipple struck u shown as slight y concave with its rim arranged to bite into the end of the stopper. This arrangement prevents gas from escaping outwardly between the disk and stopper and through the axial opening of the stopper.

In order to prevent the stopper rotatin about the axis of its attaching screw, an

thus avoid tendenc of the clamping disk bein turned ofi t e screw, I provlde an inter ocking connection between the plate and base of the stopper. This is shown as effected striking one or more prongs or spurs 20 downwardly from the plate so as to be embedded in the base of the stopper. Two of such spurs are herein shown, they being located between the attaching screw 17 and the smaller end of the plate. Such interlocking projections are formed in the plate without additional expense after the die has been made.

The manner of using the device to remove a metal cap from a bottle is shown in Fig. 5.

,As shown in said figure the cap is removed bottle neck. If desired the plate may be placed over the cap with its other margin (or the lug 24 formed on said mar engaged with the lower flarin edge 0 the cap and the margin 22 engagef larger end 15 of the device to within ashort therefrom, and is herein with the top of the cap; and in this position of the device the cap is removed by a prymg operat on or de ressing the outer, stopper carrymg end 0 the plate.

In order that the side portions 25, 25 of the plate at the sides of the o ening 12 may be strengthened against ben g m the use of the device, the stiffening flanges 14 may be widened or deepened as shown at 26. Similarly the portion of the plate between time ening 12 and the end margin 15 of the p at may be strengthened by the formation of a transverse head 27 in this part of the plate. The employment of such stiffening or renforcing means admits of the use of lighter ga e metal, without sacrificing the strength 0 the device.

In Fig. 6 is. shown the use of the device as a sto per, the stopper 13 being inserted into an closing the mouth of the bottle. The cork is made to closely fit the standard bottle mouth, and when in place prevents the escape of the charging gas from the beverage in the bottle.

The construction and arran ement of the device provides on the front ace thereof a large space to receive an advertising announcement, such as the advertisement of the manufacturer or bottler of a particular charged beverage. :This feature of the device adds great value to it in addition to its utility as a means of removing bottle caps and thereafter closing the bottles While the contents are used from time to time. The

simplicity of the device and its small cost of said opening with the deeper stiffening v flanges 26 and between said opening and the adjacent end margin with the stiffening head 27 and a separately formed sto per fixed to and extending at right angles fi'om the flange of said plate and designed to enter a bottle mouth.

2. A combined bottle cap remover and bottle closure comprising, in combination with a sheet metal plate provided at one end with cap removing means, of a yieldable stopper at the other end of the plate, clamping means extending axially through the stopper and through an openmg in the plate for clamping the stopper on the plate and spurs struck up from the late and embedded in the base of the yield able stopper to prevent turning of the stopper about its axis.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in the fiesence of two witnesses, this 26th day of ay A. D. 1909.

- ADOLP-H R. HOEFT.

Witnesses:

W. L. HALL, GEORGE E. WILKINS. 

